


Thunderbolt and Lightning, Very Very Frightening Me

by Falkearon



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, First Kiss, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Sleepy Cuddles, Soft Richie Tozier, Storms, The window, Thunder and Lightning, Thunderstorms, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:08:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24213436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Falkearon/pseuds/Falkearon
Summary: “Sometimes I feel like I’m thunder.” He repeated, as if that’s what Eddie missed.“Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?”Richie looked back to Eddie.“Thunders annoying,” He said bluntly, his voice quieting. Self deprecating. “It’s loud and obnoxious as hell, and everyone complains about it. And at its worst, people and pets are even scared of it.”Eddie shakes his head. Richie was thunder, he agreed, but thunder was more than what Richie saw.“Maybe you think that, but thunder has always been one of my favourite things.”-Richie overhears his mother talking about him, and goes to his best friend's house in the aftermath.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 20
Kudos: 230





	Thunderbolt and Lightning, Very Very Frightening Me

It’s storming loudly in Derry and Eddie’s awake. He doesn’t want to miss the storm.

The teen is laying on his back with his eyes closed, listening to the rain on his window. Thunder was moving in steadily, the intensity growing as the storm moved over the town.

For as long as Eddie can remember, he’s loved storms. Thunderstorms in particular. It’s a force of nature, loud and unapologetic. It can be sharp and sudden, startling people and pets by breaking the silence of the room violently. Or it can be low and rumbling, drawn out and filling his bones with comfort and vibrating the walls.

The rhythmic drone of rain pattering outside is soothing to Eddie. It drowns out his problems, wrapping him in a security blanket. The thunder is inescapable, all encompassing and _comforting_. 

Eddie’s trance is broken by his window rattling. His eyes snap open.

Eddie’s gotten into the habit of leaving his window unlocked in case a certain Trashmouth decides to drop by late at night. On a normal night, the rattling wouldn’t alarm him. It would just mean Richie was here. He didn’t think to lock it before the storm. Didn’t think he needed to, but now fear grips him sharply. There's no way Richie came here during the storm.

The window lifts and Richie tumbles into the room.

_It’s just Richie._

Eddie sighs in relief.

_Wait. What?_

“Richie!” He hisses sharply. “What are you doing here? It’s a fucking nightmare out there, I can’t believe you would come here when it’s raining like that!”

The taller boy was absolutely drenched. His dark hair in his face and his hands slipping as he haphazardly closes the window behind him. Richie doesn't respond to Eddie.

“Richie?” Eddie tries. 

Richie locks the window and turns to Eddie. He hesitates for a moment while thunder crashes outside. Lightning lights the room and exposes Richie for a brief moment. He’s been crying.

“Uh, do you have any clothes I can borrow?” Richie chokes out, attempting to keep his voice steady despite the shake. 

“Oh um- of course. Top drawer.” Eddie sits up and fists his blanket. 

Richie nods and slides his shoes off before shuffling through the drawer and changing his clothes out. He sets the wet clothes in a pile by the window. Eddie silently pats the bed and Richie shifts over, crawling under the sheets. 

In the past few months there’s been a distinct change between Eddie and Richie.

They’ve never talked exclusively about it; if the soft touches and lingering glances _mean_ anything. It began with Richie going out of his way to touch Eddie; hand resting on his elbow— against his arm— on the small of his back— and progressed to him just _holding his hand._

And it escalated in other ways too.

They had agreed the best way to utilize the hammock without fighting was to simply share it. Somehow over the years, this progressed to straight up cuddling. Eddie had long stopped protesting when Richie would pull him against his chest in the clubhouse. It just made sense, he had reasoned. They were both growing and were now much larger than they were at 13, this was the easiest way to fit into the hammock without fighting. 

Touching was second nature for them now, which is why Eddie had no trouble reaching out to guide Richie to lay against his chest. The taller boy seemed smaller than usual, curling in on himself and resting his cheek over Eddie’s heart. Thunder rumbles steadily outside.

“Your hair’s all wet,” Eddie observed softly, pushing the matted curls away from Richie’s forehead. Eddie knew better than to ask why his friend was here and visibly upset. If Richie wanted to talk, he would.

“ ‘s raining,” Richie muttered bluntly.

Eddie snorted and left his fingers detangling Richie’s hair. They lay there in the dark listening to the increasing rain at the window. The rumble of thunder being the only sound between them.

“My mom,” Richie started suddenly, “She was talking to my dad about me. She didn’t know I was listening.”

Eddie waited patiently for him to continue. Richie’s mother isn’t a bad lady. She cares for and loves Richie, but she doesn't _understand_ him. Most of the disconnection between Richie and his mother came from this and spawned fights. Fights that were growing more frequent as Richie got older.

“Heard her say some shit about how she wished I was a girl, that my sister is so much easier than I am. That I’m too—” Richie sniffed, and Eddie didn’t mention his fresh tears. “Too _much_ for her to handle.”

Richie pauses as a particularly large crash sounds outside.

“I dunno why I came here,” He lies, “I couldn’t think of anywhere else but I couldn’t stay there.”

Eddie tugs the blankets up around Richie, tucking him in. Richie peers at him with tearful eyes, and Eddie slides his smudged glasses off his face.

“You can always come here, Rich,” Eddie states as he sets his glasses on the side table. “As long as my mother is asleep at least.”

Richie gives a hollow laugh at that. His hair is drying slowly, the ends frizzing. Eddie itches to get his fingers in it again. So he does.

Richie closes his eyes and melts into the touch. They lapse into silence, thunder being the only ambiance once again. Eddie stifles a yawn and begins to feel the pull of sleep. There’s another large crash before Richie speaks again, his tone almost harsh.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m thunder.”

“Huh?” Eddie fluttered his eyes open, “What do you mean?”

Richie was looking to the side at the window, his arms tucking under Eddie.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m thunder.” He repeats bluntly, as if that’s what Eddie missed.

“Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?”

Richie looked back to Eddie.

“Thunders annoying,” He said bluntly, his voice quieting. _Self deprecating._ “It’s loud and obnoxious as hell, and everyone complains about it. And at its worst, people and pets are even scared of it.”

Eddie shakes his head. Richie was thunder, he agreed, but thunder was _more_ than what Richie saw.

“Maybe you think that, but thunder has always been one of my favourite things.” 

“Huh?” Richie sniffs and wipes his eyes.

Something about the sound of the storm pattering against the window encourages Eddie to continue despite the growing pounding in his ears.

“It's loud, yeah, but I think that’s a good thing. It’s grounding— reminds you that you’re here and things are real.” Eddie pauses, thinking of how best to word his thoughts. Richie was always better at this than Eddie was.

“I always look forward to it when it rains, and I hope it thunders when it does,” He decides to confess. “I’m not sure why, but thunder’s always made me feel safe. No matter what kind of day I’ve had, a thunderstorm makes me feel better. M-maybe that’s weird, most people want a sunny day, right? Maybe it’s got something to do with the electricity in the air, o-or I’m just fucked up—“

“You’re not fucked up, I like rainy days too.”

There’s a look in Richie’s eyes now, as if Eddie’s holding his heart in his hands and he’s hoping he doesn't crush it. Eddie shakily cups Richie’s cheeks instead. Richie’s eyes close and he leans into his touch. Eddie’s throat is dry when he continues.

“It’s always been a constant in my life, I guess.” Eddie wills himself to gently run his thumbs across Richie’s skin. “I always feel brave when it’s loud as shit outside, it’s almost like it's encouraging me to match it or protecting me from everything else. I feel like I can do _anything_ when it’s roaring, like everything is possible. I-I love thunder. Always have, so please don’t treat it like it's a bad thing.”

There’s a flash suddenly, and it illuminates the sides of their faces briefly.

“Am I reading this right?” Richie asks softly.

It's the loud crash from outside that gives Eddie the courage to nod. Richie sucks in a sharp breath. He waits for the thunder to end before speaking.

“Alright, well then you’re lightning.” Richie says resolutely. 

Eddie drops his hands from Richie’s face, “Why? That’s _actually_ annoying.”

“Huh, why?”

“Well for one, its surprising as fuck. It’s disrupting and unpredictable, the only good thing about it is you know it’ll thunder soon after. And second of all, it’s dangerous as fuck.” Eddie explained, his confusion being replaced by irritation. Here he thought Richie and him were having a _moment_ , but then he turns it into another joke.

Richie rubs his thumbs in slow circles where they rest against Eddie’s skin, and Eddie curses him for how comforting it feels.

“Well- yeah.” Richie lips curve up slightly, looking at Eddie dumbly. Eddie opens his mouth, but before he can snap at him, Richie continues.

“It’s bright and dangerous, and that's what makes it so goddamn _beautiful_.”

Eddie closes his mouth, the pounding in his ears returning. The smile on Richie’s face is soft but strong, as if he can’t help it. There’s another flash of light in the room, and Eddie catches the raw _passion_ in Richie’s eyes.

“It’s unpredictable and quick that you have to savour the moments when it strikes. It’ll light up the whole world, showing you everything for one blinding second in sheer _fire_ and leaving you craving more.” 

Eddie can’t meet Richie’s eyes. He feels his face burning. 

“It’s mesmerizing and addictive,” Eddie can hear Richie’s voice soften. “I’ve seen people sit outside during storms just to watch the lightning tear across the sky, even if they catch it for just a fragment of a second, they know instinctively that they’re witnessing the beauty of nature and it's worth it.”

It thunders again, louder as the brunt storm passes over them. There’s also the soft glow of distant lightning strikes.

“It’s still dangerous.” Eddie hears himself protest softly.

Richie grins and he leans into the space between them. Eddie can’t pull his eyes away from Richie’s, his heart pounding.

“Exactly.” He whispers firmly, as if he was telling Eddie a secret. “Can’t get too close, despite how tempting it is. Lightning’s beautiful, but it’s still a force of nature and has a mean bite.” 

At the last word, he squeezes Eddie’s hips firmly. 

“And plus,” Richie relaxes back into a soft smile. “Thunder’s always chasing after lightning.”

Eddie’s heart stutters at that. He’s bombarded with a multitude of emotions, the strongest of which being an unrelenting pang of _love_. He loves this boy, dry tear marks and soft smiles with powerful words. Eddie can’t help his own smile.

“What a pair.” He finds himself stating. Richie’s thumbs resume their movement.

“Can’t have one without the other, ‘s not a real storm then. Not that I’m complaining though,” Richie offers him his lopsided grin. The unguarded one that reminds Eddie a puppy, and the one that Richie saves for when his walls are down. 

“I think lightning’s my favourite part anyways.” Richie whispers.

Eddie tugs on Richie’s borrowed sleep shirt, and he comes. He settles as a comfortable weight over Eddie. 

“I love lightning.” Richie’s voice is surrounded by thunder, and Eddie can’t help but _give_ when Richie kisses him. 

Eddie’s always heard about fireworks when people talked about kissing, but he was never told about _this_. Instead of fireworks it's almost alive with an electric hum, like the air outside before a thunderstorm rolls in. Maybe it had something to do with the loud rain at his window and the thunder crashing overhead, but maybe it was just because of Richie.

Richie pulls back first.

“Is this ok?”

Eddie nods and involuntarily squeezes his thighs around Richie's hips. The taller boy groans, pressing more of his weight into Eddie. Richie lifts his hand from Eddie’s waist and cups the side of his neck. Lightning strikes somewhere outside.

“I’ve gotta be dreaming.” Richie whispers as he moves his kisses to Eddie’s jaw.

“God, you better not be.” Eddie arches up into Richie. The other boy hisses in response and grips Eddie’s hips with the hand he’d left there. Eddie fists his hands into black curls and guides Richie back into kissing him properly. He allows Richie to press deeper into his mouth, something Eddie previously thought would repulse him. He has Richie's tongue in his mouth, _willingly_ , and he _likes_ it.

“You’re so beautiful, Eds.” Richie mutters between kisses. Eddie blushes and his mind is too loud with the mantra of _RichieRichieRichie_ that the nickname slides past him. 

The intensity of their kisses dwindle down with the storm outside. Soon they’re exchanging lazy open kisses, lulled into exhaustion by the late night and high emotions. The wet sound should be repulsing, but Eddie can’t find it in himself to complain. 

The storm is quiet now, and Eddie realizes just how tired he really is. He breaks away from Richie. Undeterred, Richie presses his kisses to anywhere he can reach on the boy beneath him. The taller boy has pressed his entire body against Eddie, pinning him efficiently to the bed as he focuses all his energy on staying awake. Eddie can tell Richie is just as tired as he is.

Richie plants a haphazard kiss to Eddie’s cheek. 

“ ‘s nice.” He drones. Eddie can’t help but hum in agreement. 

Taking note of their position, Eddie sheepishly releases Richie from the death grip his legs have him in. Almost instantly Richie begins to protest.

“Oh shut up, let’s go to sleep. You’re barely awake as it is.” Eddie huffs, trying to hide the embarrassment creeping up his skin. 

Richie grunts and presses a few lazy kisses to Eddie’s neck before lifting his head when Eddie tugs on his hair.

“You’re gonna fall asleep on me, asshole.” 

“But I’m hard.” Richie whined, finally meeting Eddie’s eyes.

“I— Richie wh— Jesus fuck. _Go to sleep_. That’s not my problem.” Eddie flustered, suddenly becoming aware of the firm press against his inner thigh. 

“If you’re lightning and I’m thunder, then what’s the rain?” Richie teased. Eddie bites his lip and does _not_ let out an embarrassing noise when Richie grinds down on him. 

“Richard—”

Richie laughs and rolls off Eddie, landing on his back.

“Relax Spaghetti, you’re right,” He broke off into a yawn. “I’m beat.”

Eddie rolls on his side to face the taller boy. His heart rate is finally calming down. Richie makes grabby hands at him.

“Cuddle?”

Eddie rolls his eyes but tucks himself comfortably into Richie’s chest. The other boy wraps himself around Eddie enthusiastically. Richie hums and Eddie feels the vibrations from where he’s pressed against his throat.

“So did you mean it?” Richie asks into Eddie’s hair.

“Hm?”

“What you said about thunder…”

Eddie smiles against his skin.

“I love you, Richie.”

“Oh, ok.” Richie chokes out. “Me too. I mean uh— I-I love you too.”

The rain had stopped completely and thunder rumbled faintly in the distance. Eddie felt untouchable and safe secured in Richie’s embrace. He stifles a yawn and closes his eyes. They lay in silence and Eddie began to fall asleep.

“Hey Eddie, thanks for talking with me tonight.” Richie sounds far away, seconds from drifting off. 

It takes the rest of Eddie’s brainpower to rub soft circles in Richie’s back. He must have responded with something, because Richie lets out a satisfied noise and tucks Eddie closer.

The last thing Eddie feels before falling asleep is Richie pressing a kiss to his forehead.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry  
> I literally never write, I'm not an author. I failed English.  
> I draw, don't look at me.  
> But I had fun and that's what matters :) This idea wouldn't leave me alone  
> <3 Thank's for reading ily


End file.
